Princess Caelum
by La Femme de Cross Marian
Summary: First story so please be kind. What if Noctis Lucis Caelum had a little sister to throw into the mix? What if this little sister accompanies him and his entourage in their quest to save their kingdom. What of the rumors of betrayal of one of their own? And what does the goddess Etro have in store for the royal siblings?
1. In Which We Meet the Princess

Ilena was roused from her sleep when Noctis gently nudged her shoulder. She lifted her head and gave him a quzzical look. He pointed out the window to the Lucis skyline rushing past them. She looked past it to the airships in the distance. Nifleheim airships. She pursed her lips. Ilena knew her brother didn't enjoy the idea of a peace treaty with them, like she did as well. It wasn't that they didn't like peace; they didn't trust Nifleheim. Why would their enemies of so long propose a treaty when Lucis had just caught wind of rumors of military advancement? Their father was too trusting; he still believed in good faith.

They slowed for a checkpoint which they and their entourage of vehicles easily bypassed. The royal group was approaching the party/ball/event, whatever you wish to call it. It isn't a party, Ilena thought, everyone hates each other.

She sighed and shifted a bit. The dress she donned was uncomfortable. She hated dresses. She hated the make up. She hated looking like a stereotypical princess. Most of all, she hated political gatherings of this sort. Ilena wasn't much of a socialite and she always said or did the wrong thing. That's why having Gladiolus there would make it so much easier. Gladiolus always made things easier on her;he was her shield. It was true, as an Amicitia, he was supposed to guard both Ilena and Noctis, but the warrior's obvious partiallity to Ilena was evident. He was her best friend. She cared for all members of their little group though; Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. She loved them all.

Ilena hadn't even noticed that they'd arrived at their destination until her brother exited the car and her own door was opened for her. She got out and smoothed her dress. Her eyes met Gladiolus's and she flashed a smile, which he returned. One by one their posse gathered.

Ilena stuck with Noctis, them being the royal siblings and all. They entered the room proud and strong. One hundred pairs of eyes all turned to look at them at the same time. Ilena's stomach did a little flip.

Over the course of the night they separated and mingled as little as possible. You're going to get a few jackasses who can sense your awkwardness and prey upon it, but besides that the event had gone pretty well.

Ilena was currently standing, back against the wall, with her hands folded in front of her. She hoped she could just melt into the wall and diappear but she had no such luck. The princess of Lucis spotted the princess of Nifleheim draw near and she had to suppress a groan.

"Are you enjoying yourself princess Caelum?" Stella Nox Fleuret asked with a smile.

"Yes, very much so," _I just love surrounding myself with foreign dignitaries who probably want to kill me and my whole family._

"You needn't lie, you look bored to tears. I've never had much tolerance for political parties myself,"

"Well, we all have to make it through them,"

Stella chuckled, "How do you cope?"

_Usually me and Prompto do stupid shit together and hope no one notices. _"I try to look as uninteresting as possible,"

Stella laughed for real that time. She excused herself, saying she wanted to catch Noctis as he went upstairs. Ilena watched as she followed after him. She smiled when she felt a familiar presence next to her.

"And what are you doing, sneaking up on people like that, you creeper?" Ilena turned to face her great-sword-wielding Amicitia.

"Coming to make sure you hadn't bailed like last time, _princess,_" the last word he said with sarcasm and gently bumped her for good measure.

"I didn't bail I got lost," he laughed at her words. That infectious smile couldn't help but lighten Ilena's mood.

She leaned her head against him; an affectionate gesture that he gladly accepted. He loved that he was her closest friend. If there was ever anything wrong, Gladiolus was the first she would go to. Of course that left him with the messy job of explaining to her brother and father but it was worth it. He loved her. He had made his feelings apparent to the princess but while she accepted them, with open arms might I add, she didn't seem to return them except in small affections that were already the norm between them. Could it really be that she felt nothing for him? No. That was impossible, she had to feel something.

It was then that Gladiolus noticed that she had begun to lean on him more. He looked down (she was only 5'1'') and saw that Ilena was nearly asleep in his comforting presence.

"Come on missy, nap time's later," he nudged her so that her eyes opened fully.

"I'm so bored. Can we go home now?" she whined.

"Dance with me,"

"What?" she looked at him incredulously. He was the one that had taught her to dance in the first place but she knew he didn't really enjoy it very much.

"Come on, it'll help you wake up" he grabbed her hand and tugged her out in the middle of a few couples who were swaying to the soft music. He took her hand in his and placed his other hand at her waist while she put her free hand on his shoulder. It was a simple, formal slow dance that no one would think it was weird for a guard and princess to be doing. However, when he pulled her closer to him so that Ilena was almost pressed against him she was sure they were getting a few looks. Ilena didn't care; for the first time that night she was enjoying herself. They stared into each others' eyes, moving with the music, and she tried hard not to blush.

Her Gladiolus was a handsome man after all, with strong features and hazel eyes. Even the scar that marred his face only showed his fierce determination to protect her and her family. She'd become so dependent on his always being with her it honestly felt weird if the brute wasn't trailing behind her. She didn't have to be the perfect princess around Gladiolus; she could act stupid, make jokes, and play pranks with her friends(mostly with Prompto). In all truth they were all just a bunch of kids messing around whenever there wasn;t something 'royal' going on. Ilena had become so reliant, so _attached_ to those times. And in almost every fond memory she had of those times, Gladiolus was by her side.

She loved every second of their dance, every second with him against her. She could feel his strength in his arms as they cradled her. Eveything was finally perfect. That is, until a Nifleheim airship crashed into the building.


	2. In Which Political Parties Turn Deadly

At the first sign of danger, Gladiolus wrapped himself around Ilena to shield her from flying debris. All Ilena processed was that suddenly she was squished against the hard chest of her guard.

"Are you ok?" he looked down at her with concern, scanning her for cuts, bruises, etc.

"I'm fine," she had just realized all the screaming people around her running for their lives. It all seemed so surreal; everything moved in slow motion and the lights were far too bright. She was broken out of her stupor when she remembered something else. "Noctis!" she called her brother's name. Ilena peeled herself away from Gladiolus and dashed off toward the crash. He trailed closely behind her.

Ilena frantically searched for the prince of Lucis. She scanned the faces of all who passed for the familiar features of her big brother. Bullets whizzed passed her causing her to raise her arms in defense. Gladiolus summoned his great sword and shielded her as she prepared for battle; her sword in left hand and shield in right. She warped from behind Gladiolus and swiftly cut down as many enemy soldiers as was in the reach of her blade. They fell to the floor motionless. Ilena resumed her search to find her elder brother locked in combat, his crystal-fueled swords spinning around him creating a barrier against the onslaught of soldiers and bullets. She warped again, this time behind their enemies, causing quite a bit of surprise and panic. They all fell before the guardians of Lucis.

"You alright man?" Gladiolus asked his friend. Noctis nodded.

"Have you met up with Prompto and Ignis yet?" the prince worried for the blonde idiot more than their scholarly companion.

"No, but that's what we were going to do next," with a unanimous nod the three took off through the battlefield. They stopped when they came across a unit of soldiers or when citizens needed their aid, but it was necessary to keep moving to avoid being isolated or cornered. The enemy soldiers knew where they were going. The attack was obviously carefully premeditated. They searched everywhere within the top two floors but their companions were no where to be found; neither was the princess of Nifleheim Ilena noted. _She probably knew._ Where were they? _There's no way they're dead. It's not possible. _

The royal siblings and their guard were confronted by a wall of new enemies. They braced themselves for more fighting when a shot rang out from behind them and an adeversary slumped to the ground. A certain blonde womanizer and a certain four-eyed advisor came to stand beside the three. Ilena smiled, looking from left to right admiring that their little team was all together again. Enemy weapons aimed at their heads, the five charged them with Noctis and Ilena swinging wildly out in front while Ignis and Gladiolus followed. Prompto brought up the rear, picking off one soldier at a time. The next few moments flew by with the rush of combat and the clanging of blades: crystal glistened in the air, blood splashed across the floor, and corpses lay at the victors' feet. The deathly quiet of a finished massacre hung thickly in the atmosphere. Hearts raced as breathing was slowed. Noctis could see the light that signalled an ended life glaring.

Ilena took a moment to observe the carnage. This is what she had wanted to be; a soldier fighting on the frontlines. Free of politics, royalty, and her father's suggestions of marriage. Nothing but the thrill of battle. Of course, she was never allowed to join the infantry. Gladiolus would have flipped his shit, let alone Noctis, her father, Ignis, Prompto, Cor, and Gladiolus's own father. But that was then and this was now. She had to defend her country; she shouldn't worry about the families of the dead, all the fatherless daughters and husbandless wives, but nonetheless, the weight of all the shattered worlds threatened to crush her. Her breathing quickened and images of smiling faces turning to tears and grief crossed her mind.

Suddenly a vision flashed in her mind with a crippling pain in her temple. Herself, Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto were standing just outside the boundaries of the capitol, gazing at the metropolean city. They were happy, smiling, and Gladiolus came to put an arm around her. A pain similar to the one she was currently experiencing made her crumple. Gladiolus caught her, but as she gripped his hand her eyes fluttered shut...

That same strong hand that she had just seen in her vision now shook her gently. Ilena turned to see amber eyes looking at her worriedly.

"Are you alright?" her Gladiolus asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she withdrew from him, "let's keep moving, the lower floors should be accessible now."


End file.
